I’ve had my AirPods Pro 2 for over two years now, and I’m just as obsessed today as I was the day I unboxed them. I love everything about my AirPods Pro 2: the music quality is second-to-none, the design is ideal for my tiny ears, and the ANC is proficient enough to drown out airplane engine noise.
The AirPods Pro 2 are, in my opinion, the best wireless earbuds money can buy. But will that remain the same on September 19, when the AirPods Pro 3 release? I’m not sure — I’ve not tested the AirPods Pro 3 yet — but I know that I won’t be buying the Pro 3.
I’m sure the Pro 3 are excellent earbuds, but I don’t believe they’re an essential upgrade. Here’s why.
The AirPods Pro 2 still sound great
Alright, so I’ve not got my hands on a pair of the AirPods Pro 3 yet, but this is what Apple says about the earbuds’ sound quality: “AirPods Pro 3 feature a new multiport acoustic architecture that precisely controls the airflow that carries sound into the ear,” which is said to improve spatial audio.
Apple also says the AirPods’ “new architecture transforms the bass response, widens the soundstage so users hear every instrument, and brings vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies across music”.
This all sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to try out the Pro 3 to see if Apple’s claims ring true. However, when I think about it… I’m still really impressed by the AirPods Pro 2’s sound quality.
I think the soundstage on the Pro 2 is wide, expansive, and the instrument separation is fantastic. I mostly listen to music on Qobuz (our best music streaming service for audiophiles), and the excellent streaming quality begs to be exploited with earbuds of this caliber.
In my opinion, the AirPods Pro 2’s music quality is already as good as I would want it to be. The bass is loud, yet not overpowering, and the treble performance is infectious without being pinchy. I’m listening to “Green Light” by Lorde as I type this, and the background vocals are clear and sound distant, whereas Lorde’s lead vocal is close and husky in the center of my ears.
The only area I’d want improvement in is the aforementioned wide soundstage, but this isn’t an AirPods Pro 2 issue; this is an earbuds vs headphones issue. I always find that headphones can mimic an expansive soundstage better than earbuds, purely thanks to their physical design and over-ear nature.
While newer earbuds (namely the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 and the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds) have spacious soundstages and impactful instrument separation, I don’t think the AirPods Pro 2 sound out-of-date enough (to me, and I review earbuds for a living) to justify the upgrade.
The AirPods Pro 2 are getting the Pro 3’s Live Translation
So one of the biggest features on the AirPods Pro 2 is the Live Translation feature. Now, I don’t realistically see myself ever using this, as I live in the U.K. and pretty much everyone here speaks English as standard, but it would be a great feature to have for vacations or trips abroad. I always like to try to speak the local language when I go on vacation, but there’s only so much a week of Duolingo can do for you.
Anyway, this feature works via Apple Intelligence and iOS 26, not the AirPods Pro 3 themselves. As a result, I’ll be able to get this feature on my Pro 2 via my iPhone 16 Pro. If you’ve got an older iPhone (older than 15), but AirPods Pro 3, you won’t be able to use the Live Translation feature regardless.
Some Pro 3-exclusive new features include the heart rate monitor (that I don’t see myself ever using) and the “studio quality” audio recording (again, that I don’t see myself using). As a result, I’m quite content with my AirPods Pro 2.
And the most important reason of all is…
Honestly, the main reason why I’m not upgrading is that I don’t think you need to get the newest products all the time. There’s nothing wrong with using the tech you have. I had an iPhone 11 until this year. I kept my first MacBook Pro from 2012 until 2018, my second from 2018 to 2022 (it’s now my boyfriend’s). I’m going to get a second-hand Apple Watch when my Amazfit Band 7 dies, and that’s not happened yet.
I am a staunch believer in reducing consumerism and reducing waste, so I am happy with my AirPods Pro 2. There’s nothing wrong with them — they work perfectly fine, and just because they’re “old” doesn’t mean I have to buy new ones.
Also, my AirPods Pro 2 are my one true love, so why give them up?
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!